text:
3D Display Revenue to Hit $22B by 2018
January 4, 2010 10:20 AM
comment(s) - last by
Largest market will be mobile phone displays
CES is here and one of the most interesting technologies to be seen at the show this year will be 3D-ready TVs and other gear. The home theater market is set to boom with a glut of new 3D devices coming soon that will usher 3D movies and broadcast programming into homes.
DisplaySearch has released its
that forecasts the revenue from 3D-ready displays to reach a staggering $22 billion by 2018. 3D-ready TV shipments are predicted to hit 64 million units in the same time frame. In 2008, the market for 3D stereoscopic displays was 700,000 units and the revenue for the market was only $902 million. The predicted growth shows a compound annual growth rate of 38% for revenue and 75% for units shipped.
DisplaySearch breaks the numbers down by product group as well. The research firm predicts that 3D-ready monitors will grow from 40,000 units shipped in 2009 to 10 million units shipped in 2018. 3D notebooks will also grow significantly from 66,000 units in 2009 to 17.7 million in 2018. It's hard to imagine 3D on mobile phones today, but DisplaySearch predicts that 71 million mobile phones with 3D capability will ship by 2018. If the prediction comes true, mobile phones will be the largest category in the 3D market.
The huge number of 3D mobile phone shipments will make the 1 to 4+ inch screen size the largest market with the second largest screen size group ranging from 40-49" for TVs. LCD technology will be the predominant technology used in 3D screens and eyewear is predicted to be needed in most applications. Over 7,000 new 3D cinema screens are expected to be installed in 2010 and an additional 9,000 screens will be installed in 2011. DisplaySearch predicted late in December that the LCD TV market would
return to growth
in 2010 mainly on the back of new technologies like 3D.
"3D displays are taking off with consumers due to increasing availability of 3D content. In addition, 3D standardization has also been addressed or is being evaluated in several 3D organizations," noted Jennifer Colegrove, Director of Display Technologies at DisplaySearch. "A number of manufacturers of consumer electronics devices, including TVs, monitors, notebooks, Blu-ray disc players, and digital cameras/camcorders/photo frames have aggressively promoted 3D in the home. In addition to consumer use of 3D displays, the technology has also been used for many professional applications and advertisement/public displays."
One key ingredient needed for 3D TVs to penetrate the market is 3D programming. 3D Blu-ray is one of the big technologies being displayed at CES later this week. The
satellite that DirecTV recently launched
will also have a dedicated channel that broadcasts in 3D. In addition to a single 3D channel, the satellite will also enable over 200 national HD channels to be broadcast to the entire country including Alaska and Hawaii. Some of the new HD channels will broadcast in full 1080p resolution as well. DirecTV has no plans for additional satellites at this time.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
1/4/2010 1:43:36 PM
Yes, 3D is something that's absolutely great when it's NOT being used as a gimmick and stuff being thrown at the audience.
3D is part of normal vision. People see color, people see 3D in real life. Having movies which are supposed to give viewers 'alternate realities' for a couple hours needs to be 3D to "do it right". Yes, there still are B&W movies, and in the same way there still will be 2D movies.
But I'll say that when I snap photographs, I do it in 3D and have for about 30 years.
It's simple: my eyes work in 3D, I like them to continue doing so when in the movies or looking at photographs.
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text:
Advanced Engineering has appointed John Barraclough as its new sales director.
He joins the company from one of the world’s leading valve actuation companies, where he was responsible for an international sales and support team across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and is a highly experienced sales professional.
John has a background in electronic engineering, initially completing an apprenticeship and gaining an HNC in Electronic Engineering. His career has seen him hold roles of ever increasing responsibility in the areas of engineering, customer support, technical support, internal and external sales and finally sales management.
Advanced Engineering’s chairman Barry Lea said that the appointment comes at a time when the company is looking to expand on its success in the UK and Europe by developing its sales and distribution network worldwide.
Delegates to the IOR Annual Conference taking place from 21 to 22 April will get the chance to access the event live and all sessions and recordings for up six months afterwards providing fantastic value and allowing anyone registering for the event ...
Star Refrigeration has overseen the transition to natural cooling solutions at the Blakemans’ cold storage facility in Newcastle Under Lyme after the leading producers of sausage and meat-based products in Europe pledged to reduce their carbon ...
ACR News Awards

domain: news


text:
Ukraine offers to use Trans-Caspian route
By Aynur Karimova
Ukraine has offered its cargo carrier companies to use the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route for transporting goods to Central Asia bypassing Russia.
The Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry reported that a test container train will depart from Ilyichevsk on January 15on the Ukraine-Georgia-Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan-China route (via the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea).
"This route is a new direction of Silk Road and an alternative, which will allow redirecting cargo traffic in an easterly direction, bypassing the Russian territory. It includes ferry crossings of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea (Ilyichevsk-Batumi and Alat-Aktau) and is designed to become competitive to the traditional overland route," the ministry said.
The opportunities of Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which enjoys an opportunity to become attractive and profitable for consignors from European countries, were presented to the cargo carrier companies of Ukraine during a road show on November 16, 2015 and at the international forum “Bridging Europe and Asia: a new look at the formation of transcontinental routes” in Odessa on December 3.
"Technologies, accelerated delivery times and tariff conditions were agreed and its operators were defined to run the container train. The test container train will open up an alternative way to deliver cargo from Ukraine to the countries of Central Asia. The container train will include approximately 20 wagons," the ministry added.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route will transport approximately 300,000-400,000 containers by 2020, bringing hundreds of millions of manats in profit to Azerbaijan.
The first container train on this route arrived at Baku International Sea Trade Port from China in August. The train, consisting of 44 wagons, departed from the Alashankou export station of the Chinese Urumqi-Xinjiang province and arrived in Tbilisi in eight days transiting through the territory of Azerbaijan.
An agreement creating a coordinating committee to develop a Trans-Caspian International Transport Route was signed by Kazakh, Georgian, and Azerbaijani representatives in late 2013.
The project is being implemented by Kazakhstan Temyr Zholy, China Railways, Azerbaijan Railways, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company and Baku International Sea Trade Port.
Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz


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Five KwaZulu-Natal tourism product owners have returned from India, the province’s key travel market, all spiced up and filled with keen anticipation that the number of tourists to KZN from the Asian subcontinent will grow exponentially.
Following an almost two-year lull in travel and hospitality activities due to the pandemic, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is now back on the podium as the country’s number one domestic tourism destination and is committed to defending its market share, whilst implementing new and innovative ways to continue to reclaim its international tourist numbers.
Platforms like the India Trade Show are critical for tourism business owners to create networks, showcase their tourism products and clinch business deals that will begin to stimulate more travel back to KZN from the India market.
Tourism KZN’s strategy is very clear as the organisation wants to start repackaging and selling tourism products and get their international key source markets back on track.
The destination marketing organisation is confident that all the work that they have done in the past, will make it easier to attract international travellers back to KZN.
The growth of the tourism sector will contribute immensely to the economic growth, sustained employment, and spatial equity in KZN.
The India Trade Show KZN is one of the important international marketing platforms that were identified by South African Tourism.
KZN-based tourism business owners that travelled to India were Syavaya Group; African Wild Travel; Wild 5 Adventures; Shark Cage Diving KZN and Kunene Tours. These business owners said their travel trade counterparts in India were blown away by the wide range of tourism products and attractions that KZN has to offer all through the year. Many indicated they will make on-site familiarisation visits soon and have asked for itineraries to be prepared for their clients.
Lizeka Shandu, Managing Director of African Wild Travel, said she returned to Durban with excitement that there is huge potential in receiving business from India and she was already busy putting together fresh itineraries for the Indian market visiting KZN.
“Businesses in KZN need to reassure the regional tourists and international travellers that KZN is still a warm and hospitable destination that is safe to travel and is open for business,” she said.
Paul Jefferys, Owner of Wild 5 Adventures, said the trade show was an eye-opener and had far exceeded his expectations.
“The trade shows were intense, target market-orientated and focused. Our KZN products and services brought value to the Indian market and many of the delegates were extremely interested in what we had to offer in KZN.
“We travelled across India in eight days taking nine flights and meeting in four cities, showcasing our products and services at seven trade shows.
“I advise other KZN SMME’s and business owners not to isolate their business in KZN as we need to get onto more South African and International travel and tourism markets,” he said.
Jefferys added that this was a great opportunity and platform to use as many in the Indian market did not know of all the wonderful and thrilling activities KZN has to offer.
John Miller, owner of Shark Cage Diving KZN said this trade show has created a huge interest for KZN and a large number from the Indian market are keen to visit KZN to explore the top tourist destinations and adventure activity sites.
“It was uplifting to see well-established businesses representing KZN at the India Trade Show,” he said.
In 2018, SA welcomed 93 428 arrivals from India and 95 621 in 2019. The India market contributed close to R1.5 billion to SA’s tourism economy and a 12% growth rate in 2019.
The total number of arrivals from India to KZN was 8 552 in 2019, and Tourism KZN is committed to getting back this market share and possibility surpass it as there is a much bigger appetite to travel now more than ever.
The easing of travel restrictions will allow TKZN to showcase some of the provincial offerings in many more international platforms.
Over the past two years, Tourism KZN has continued to keep in touch with international partners in key source markets to ensure that KZN continues to be top of mind.
As more countries open their borders, Tourism KZN will have more face-to-face interactions that constitute the backbone of tourism. Tourism KZN’s plan is to roll out similar engagements in a few of our key international markets like the UK, Germany, France, and the USA.


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Recently, the Chico Police Department discovered a batch of commercially-produced motion picture money is being passed as authentic currency around the City of Chico.
“Commercially-produced replica money is normally used as prop cash in movies and television shows. While not an exact replica, the bills look similar enough to authentic cash that it may be accepted if not carefully inspected,” said the Chico Police Department in a statement.
Chico Police added that the replica bills are stamped “For Motion Picture use Only” and in smaller lettering “This note is not legal, it is to be used for motion pictures.”
“The bills lack the usual security features such as watermarks and micro-printing,” said Chico Police.
Authorities caution businesses and citizens to closely scrutinize all currency and ensure bills are authentic legal tender. According to the United States Secret Service, possessing a replica bill with printing on both sides is illegal, as is attempting to pass a prop bill as legal tender for any transaction.
If you are given a prop bill, get a description of the suspect and refuse or confiscate the bill and immediately call your local authorities. ■


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Strategic Global Intelligence Brief for December 14, 2018
Short Items of Interest—U.S. Economy
Rethinking Fed Strategy
There has not been a new position staked out by the Fed at this point. However, economists are busy reading the tea leaves and consulting their Runes as they look ahead to 2019 and what Fed policy might look like. The expectation earlier this year was that 2019 would look a lot like 2018 with three, or maybe four more rate hikes. That is no longer a safe assumption as there appears to be less urgency around inflation than was the case earlier. Despite the record low levels of unemployment, there has been little wage inflation. That has started to temper expectations. Few think the Fed will abandon rate hikes altogether, but now the thinking is there will be a cooling off period lasting a few months into the new year. At this point, we have not heard how the Fed feels about this.
Trade War as Biggest Risk
With some of the traditional problem areas easing a bit, the attention of analysts has focused on the risk of a real trade war between China and the U.S. As noted above, the inflation concern has faded a bit—at least for now. There is still concern over the impact of high debt and deficit, but these are like chronic diseases that one learns to live with. Now the threat is a trade war. There are several angles to consider. The U.S. farmer will lose a major export destination and there are other sectors of the U.S. economy that will miss that market. Importers will either have to hike prices or find a new supplier. That will hurt consumers. The bigger issue may be that countries doing business with both China and the U.S. will be caught in the crossfire and will suffer economically—hurting their ability to import from the U.S.
Bad News on the Deficit Front
It seems neither Democrats nor Republicans care about the size of the debt or deficit these days. Thus, the problem is accelerating. The deficit for the first two months of fiscal 2019 was over $300 billion. That is $100 billion more than the deficit that was run in the first two months of fiscal 2018. The deficit is on a pace that will break records. The tax cuts were supposed to goose the economy enough that revenue would flow in to replace what was lost to the cuts. It has not even come close. Meanwhile, Congress has stepped up spending.
Short Items of Interest—Global Economy
Saudi Arabia Rebuked
Congress has apparently had quite enough of Saudi Arabia and has passed a couple of measures that make this abundantly clear. There will be no further support for the Saudi war in Yemen (a largely symbolic move). That opens up a very slim possibility for a truce. This is now an utterly shattered nation that is starving to death and has been relentlessly attacked by Saudi air strikes made possible by the U.S. In the same breath, Congress has rebuked the crown prince for his role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have not been this bad since the days of the Arab oil embargo, despite President Trump's attempts to smooth things over.
EU Rejects Prime Minister May's Plea
Prime Minister Theresa May managed to survive a no confidence vote that would have ended her government and forced new elections, but she is no closer to solving the Brexit mess and now knows there is no support for the deal she struck with the EU. She has reached out to Jean-Claude Juncker to see if there is a chance for modification and has been utterly ignored. The EU has no interest at all in making life simpler for the U.K.
Stimulus Falls Short in China
It had been assumed the Chinese could jump start the economy with some government help—it has always worked in the past. This time it has not been enough to counter the issues that have slowed the economy this year. The biggest concern has been the trade and tariff war, but there has also been the slow realization that China has a labor shortage problem that stems from an aging population.
Latest Set of Readings Start to Look a Little Bleak
What follows is the executive summary of a report we do for a pair of industrial organizations: the Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI) and the Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA). Both are in the metal business and represent a wide range of manufacturing operations.
There is a little something for every taste in this month's report. There were as many down readings as there were positives. They rather conveniently fell into two broad categories. If you are thinking that next year will be a nice continuation of the growth in 2018, there is something in this data to give you some confidence. However, if you are of the opinion that 2019 heralds an end to the nice run we have had since the recession, there is plenty to worry about. The feeling in the air is that something is going to break in the coming months—either due to the interest rate policies pursued by the Fed or a reaction to tensions in the global economy. There is also the sense that the next two years will be the most vicious yet as far as politics is concerned. The slim chances for some kind of bipartisan progress vanished with the division of Congress into warring camps.
The five readings that are trending down are pretty closely related—cause for some ongoing concern. The first of these is the capacity utilization number. It has not fallen far, but it has been frustrating that the numbers can't seem to jump into what is generally considered normal territory. It had been expected that capacity utilization would have reached 80% by this point in the year. There was also a rather steep decline as far as Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) new orders were concerned. The total PMI has been doing reasonably well with readings still in the mid-50s (anything above 50 is expansion), but the new orders data had been as high as 70 just a year ago and has since fallen to about 55. This is clearly still growth, but nothing like it has been. There were also steep drops in both durable goods and factory goods. It is not the time of year one would expect this.
The slowdown in durable goods looks to be related to the slowdown in the housing sector—especially the building of multi-family units. That pace has slowed and so has the pace of starter home construction. The other durable goods areas that have been affected include the agricultural sector, but the good news has been coming from the oil and gas community as they have been investing again. The decline in factory goods this time of year suggests retailers are not rushing to replenish their store shelves. They chose an inventory light approach that relies heavily on early sales and discounts and seem willing to leave money on the table rather than get stuck with unwanted inventory. In lock step with all this other distress, there was a slump in the transportation index as the trucking sector has not seen consistent demand from retailers. The parcel carriers are doing fine, but that is part of the reason stores are not. The demand is not there and stores are just not loading up anymore. It has been noted that most stores have already abandoned their Christmas and winter inventory.
The good news is more scattered. There was a minor uptick in the sales of cars and light trucks, but for the most part this sector has been consistent for the majority of the year—not bad when considering that many analysts predicted a big drop earlier in the year. The housing sector bumped up a little, but still remains lower than it had been earlier in the year. The bloom is most definitely off that rose. Steel consumption has been up. Much of this still seems related to stockpiling in anticipation of tariffs and trade wars that do not seem any closer to resolution. The prices of metal have come off the bottom, but they are still very low. It doesn't appear that demand is going to spike in a way that boosts these prices. None of the industrial commodities are seeing consistently higher prices as has become evident from watching the volatility of oil prices. The rate of capital investment has trended up very slightly, but most had expected a more robust reaction by this time. It has been a good year as far as rates are concerned. The market has been lively which should have given cap-ex activity a bigger boost. Finally, there was the better news coming from the Credit Managers' Index. Even this, however, has some caveats to consider. The favorable readings like dollar collections were up along with sales and new applications, but the unfavorable numbers didn't improve—that means accounts out for collection and bankruptcies and slow pays.
The month actually seems to feature more bad news than good, but this is best seen as a temporary reversal as opposed to a full-on recessionary slide.
PMI New Orders
The PMI New Orders Index is plunging and far faster than the overall PMI. It is important to remind ourselves that even with the decline of the last few months the overall numbers are still good—mid-50s. That is still a far cry from the nearly 70 mark that was hit just last year. Since that point, there has been a steady decline in the new orders numbers. The new orders data is the more predictive part of the PMI and tracks the level of new business. It is early days yet, but the decline has now been showing up for a few months in a row. That has some assuming 2019 will be somewhat slower than was 2018. The other sub-index readings from the PMI have been holding fairly steady including the reports on employment and exports. The overall PMI has been sitting in the 50s, but the upward movement that had been evident in the past year has not continued at the same pace.
Durable Goods Shipments
There has been deterioration in the durable goods numbers this month, but they remain higher than they have been in much of the last year. The decline may be attributed to some seasonal factors such as the early arrival of winter and bad weather in much of the country. This had an impact on construction-related equipment as projects shut down sooner than has been the case in prior years. There has also been a slowdown in multi-family construction. That affects everything from appliances to the equipment needed to do this building. The consumer has backed off on the purchase of cars and entertainment vehicles like boats and off-road gear. The agriculture sector has been hit hard by low farm prices and more expensive inputs so the appetite for new farm gear has been limited. There has also been a little bit of a lull in demand for new aircraft.
The track of factory orders was dramatic, and certainly not in a good way. This month's plunge took away all the gains that had been made in the previous four. Now the numbers are back to where they were in July. This kind of decline is bad enough, but the timing is also causing concern. If anything, there should be a surge in factory orders given the time of year. It seems retailers are not planning to budge from the strategy they established at the start of the season. The assessment of consumers was that they would not be able to sustain their pattern of spending through the rest of the year. That prompted the retailers to go into the holidays in an "inventory light" position. They have been doing this for the last few years, but analysts had thought better consumer confidence numbers would persuade the merchants to go back to old ways.
The pattern this year, as it has been in most of the last few, is to front-load the holidays with big sales and discounts so as to get the consumer dollar first. This also means that when the original inventory has been sold, there is no effort to replace it. The retailer would rather leave money on the table than have to deal with unwanted inventory. This affects factory orders as there is no incentive to produce to meet this late demand.
The level of cap-ex has been stable now for several months. The latest data shows a little bit of a gain. However, it is not substantially different from the readings that had been noted over the bulk of the last year. The activity in cap-ex often parallels the activity as far as productivity and the readings on capacity utilization; there have been similarities. The surprising aspect of this data is that conditions would suggest that this kind of investment would be warranted right now. The interest rates are still low but clearly going up. While the trade wars are rearranging relationships and supply chains, it would seem that now would be a good time to invest on the assumption that conditions will only get progressively worse. This reaction has not been manifesting at this point, but it is possible there will be renewed interest if the Fed raises rates early in 2019 along with the rate hike expected at the end of this year.
The consumption of steel has been surging over the last few months. There has been a combination of traditional motivation and more unique factors. The two biggest markets for steel have been vehicle making and construction (mostly in the public and commercial sectors as opposed to residential). The relative stability of the car and truck market has helped with consumption numbers, but it has been noted that cars and trucks have far less steel in them than was the case 20 years ago. The construction sector tends to run hot and cold. Lately, it has been slightly more active as some of the infrastructure efforts have been underway. A third area that affects demand is the oil and gas sector. This has been booming as the U.S. continues to move up the ranks as an oil producer and exporter.
The impact of the steel tariffs is still being felt. There have been many twists and turns in this saga and more are expected. In the beginning, there were tariffs on all imported steel regardless of where it came from. Then, almost every exporter to the U.S. was exempted (all but Russia, China and Japan). Later, the tariffs were imposed on all the exporting nations again. Then, an exemption was given to South Korea and Brazil—the second- and third-largest exporters to the U.S. With the completion of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement, it is assumed that both Canada and Mexico will soon get exemptions. They are the No. 1 and No. 4 exporters of steel to the U.S. The average price hike has been 40%—rather than the 25% that would cover the tariff.
New Home Starts
The housing sector has been struggling over the past several months, but has shown a little bit of life in the last few weeks. There has been a more definite separation evident through the last year with a marked slowdown in the construction of multi-family units and starter homes, while the more expensive homes have continued to see solid demand. As with anything else dealing with real estate, the location factors are key. There are still many hot markets where demand outstrips the availability, but there are also many markets where the housing stock is abundant. The overall price of homes has been going up steadily. There are several reasons for this movement. At the top of that list is the higher costs of building as most of the inputs have been experiencing price hikes. This has ranged from lumber to steel to dry wall, textile, appliances and so on. The mortgage rates have been rising as well. That means higher down payments. There has been a consistent shortage of skilled workers which has jumped labor costs and delayed much of the construction. Finally, there is the demand factor in those hotter neighborhoods. The competition for available homes drives up the price.
My Extremely Unscientific Uber Poll
It was one of my habits to chat with the taxi drivers I encountered to get their take on the state of the local economy and things in general. That became increasingly unproductive as very few of the drivers knew enough English to engage in commentary. Those that did were reticent to opine as they were foreigners and somewhat suspicious of my motives. Now that I have abandoned the taxi industry in favor of the ride share world, I am back at it. This is utterly anecdotal. I make no assertion that it is representative. There are, however, a wide variety of drivers involved with Uber these days and I meet quite a few of them,
I usually start with some generic comment about how busy the roads are. That generally triggers a comment on how much a given town has grown and where. I next follow up with the question of how long they have been doing this and what their motivation was. The vast majority assert it is schedule flexibility that most appeals. Most see this as a second job. I have seen a lot of fire fighters and police driving Uber, as well as stay-at-home mothers, students and shift workers. There are lots of retired folks driving as well. When our conversations turn political, there is a theme. In short—it is "a plague on both your houses." They seem to reflect an attitude I see in many others. They are sick of political squabbling and games—they want people who actually want to accomplish something for the public and they do not see many with that aim. They have become increasingly irritated with the mindless drivel of social media as well as the media coverage given to stuff that simply doesn't matter to anyone.
Transportation Activity Index
This is one of the charts we provide to CCAI and IHEA. It is derived from a proprietary system we developed a number of years ago to monitor the transportation sector. This is a sector that is often looked at as a harbinger of things to come for the economy. In the activity index, we look at all the modes of transportation (trucking, rail, parcel, ocean, air, etc.) and we look at various industry drivers such as fuel costs. It has been a very prescient index and has tended to reflect the actual performance of the overall economy. It is based on the same diffusion index used by the Purchasing Managers' Index and the Credit Managers' Index, so right now, the numbers are still in expansion territory, but it has not been as robust as it was earlier in the year.


text:
Naomi Campbell has a rare fashion fail as she touches down in London wearing bizarre sportswear boots
She rarely misses the mark when it comes to her sense of style.
But Naomi Campbell failed to put her best foot forward as she landed in London's Heathrow Airport on Monday afternoon.
The 44-year-old supermodel touched down from Istanbul in a casual outfit, which she topped off with a bizarre pair of Nike boots.
Scroll down for video
These boots were made for walking: Naomi Campbell powered through Heathrow airport in London on Monday, wearing strange sporty footwear
Walk tall in a pair of Nike sneaker boots like Naomi
Leave it to Ricardo Tisci to take a classic Nike sneaker and give it a high fashion makeover. The Givenchy creative director collaborated with the sportswear company to recreate the classic Air Force 1 and came up with several interpretations, each more fabulous than the last.
At Fashion Finder HQ, we can't remember the last time we've seen Naomi Campbell rock a pair of trainers. But if the leggy supermodel was to wear an athletic shoe, it might as well be designer. The Empire actress styled hers with a long black coat and a purple checked scarf.
Other tastemakers have gotten in the mix too. Ciara, Rihanna, and fellow catwalker, Joan Smalls adorned their feet with the sporty footwear on various outings.
If you'd like to get your hands on this hot little number, good luck. The sneaker-boot hybrid is sold out everywhere! But you can shop other looks from the brand at Barneys by clicking at right. Then shoot down to our style edit for more tall trainers that will have you high stepping through the streets.
Naomi's mid-calf, trainer style boots were something of a style departure and clashed with the rest of her off-duty look.
The fashion legend was wearing an oversized leather coat paired with a purple checked scarf.
She kept a low profile in a hat and shades, keeping her head down as she made her way through the airport.
Keeping a low profile: The 44-year-old supermodel tried to go incognito as she made her way home
Naomi wore her long locks down loose and went make-up free for her long-distance flight.
The star has been busy of late with her humanitarian work, urging the fashion elite to help fight the Ebola crisis thanks to her Fashion For Relief projects.
The Streatham-born beauty organised a charity catwalk event in both New York and London last month to raise funds for the cause, enlisting her designer pals to donate dresses for the runway show and inviting her famous friends to walk in it.
Naomi recently told the Evening Standard: 'Charity work is everything to me.
'Helping those in desperate need is something I feel I simply have to do.
'We have to do all we can to support those who need our help.'
Busy bee: Naomi has been tirelessly raising money to help the Ebola crisis in recent months
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Bitcoin is hot again.
The OG of cryptocurrencies has climbed to $8,229 as of this writing, and has surged 125% so far this year extending its longest winning streak since 2013.
Bitcoin crashed last year after the frenzy around it in late 2017 that pushed it to over $20,000, and this rally is giving fresh momentum to the beaten down crypto.
Just hours after jumping 25% on Monday with no discernible reason, bitcoin—the largest cryptocurrency in the world—added another 6% on Tuesday, helping to push the coin’s total market value to nearly $250 billion, a level not seen since last August.
There has been a lot of speculation around what is driving bitcoin higher, from a possible squeeze on short positions to investor relief that recent hackings and scandals haven’t disrupted the broader market. Still others have chimed in that bitcoin has become a haven during market turbulence, making the case that the crypto is an uncorrelated, safe-haven asset as markets are on a wild ride.
“If you were in China and you wanted to diversify, it would seem logical that Bitcoin would be a short term alternative,” Andy Brenner, head of international fixed income at National Alliance Securities, wrote in a note to clients on Monday. “While we do not see the direction flows of who is buying bitcoin, we can see that the bid for bitcoin in this latest run has coincided with a big down tick in the value of the Chinese Yuan versus the dollar.”
But as bitcoin sits just under its 52-week highs, some experts are wondering if a pull-back could be right around the corner.
“We had rallied above [key resistance] but then failed on two different occasions,” said Anthony Grisanti of GRZ Energy on Wednesday. “[Bitcoin] has doubled in the last five months, so I would expect a bit of a pullback, and on the downside, there’s a very interesting gap there, from $6,870 to $6,425.”
“If we start getting some profit-taking in this market, it will fill in that gap, but that’s actually very healthy for markets going forward,” Grisanti continued.
While the technicals may point to a pull-back, Bob Iaccino of Path Trading Partners believes there’s a catalyst behind this surge in bitcoin that could change the ecosystem and make the cryptocurrency far more friendly to consumers and businesses.
“I do believe I know part of the reason why [Bitcoin is booming], and that has to do with the inception and the application of software called the Lightning Network, which actually makes small transactions a lot easier for those who hold bitcoin,” Iaccino said.
“Where you look at Visa, who can transact 65,000 transactions per second, Bitcoin’s [prior level] was about seven, and now with the implementation of the Lightning Network, which is a software add-on, you can actually get these smaller transactions off the blockchain network, making adoptability of bitcoin as a currency a lot easier.”
Jeremy Allaire, the co-founder and CEO of Circle, said bitcoin’s recent rally is most likely the result of positive news in the cryptocurrency space—like the news that Fidelity Investments will soon allow customers to buy and sell cryptocurrencies—and less of a “risk off” trade.
“Crypto fundamentals have been strong and building since early this year, when it was clear that we were oversold, and the continued parade of positive news and new retail and institutional offerings launching are firmly behind this bull market move,” Allaire said.


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Under Armour Launches Women's Campaign Fox Sports Broadcast Additions TWC Lowers Outlook Due To SportsNet LA WWE Network Hits 700,000 Subscribers NFL Players, Panini Reach Card Deal Rice Apologizes, Calls Suspension Out Of His Control Golisano Reportedly Could Still Bid For Bills Charter Nearing Deal With SEC Net NBA Adds Twitter Handle To Official Game Balls Classified Advertisements
SBD/October 3, 2012/Research and RatingsPrint All
Coca-Cola is the top global brand for the 13th consecutive year with a brand value of $77.8B, up 8% from last year, according Interbrand’s annual 100 “Best Global Brands” survey. Tech brands dominated the top 10, taking up five spots. Two brands dropped out of the top 10: Disney and HP. Facebook joined the list for the first time at No. 69 and was among six new brands to make the list (Kia, MasterCard, Pampers, Prada and Ralph Lauren). Nike and adidas were once again the only two sports brands to crack the list. Nike ranked No. 26 overall, down one spot from last year. adidas once again ranked at No. 60. Listed below are the top 15 brands from the ’12 ranking, along with positions for Nike and adidas (Interbrand).INTERBRAND'S "BEST GLOBAL BRANDS" FOR '12RKPREV.
BRANDVALUE ($USD)1-YR % +/-11 Coca-Cola$77.8B8%28 Apple$76.6B129%32 IBM$75.5B8%44$69.7B26%53 Microsoft$57.9B-2%65 GE$43.7B2%76 McDonald's$40.1B13%87 Intel$39.4B12%917 Samsung$32.9B40%1011 Toyota$30.3B9%1112 Mercedes-Benz$30.1B10%1215 BMW$29.1B18%139 Disney$27.4B5%1413 Cisco Systems$27.2B7%1510 HP$26.1B-8%2625 Nike$15.1B4%6060 adidas$6.7B9%
METHODOLOGY: There are three key aspects that contribute to the assessment: the financial performance of the branded products or services, the role of brand in the purchase decision process and the strength of the brand. Additionally, for inclusion on the list, at least 30% of a brand's revenue must come from outside the home country, and no more than 50% of revenues should come from any one continent. Companies must also have a presence on at least three major continents, and must have broad geographic coverage in growing and emerging markets.


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Carlos Aritzmendi – BIC
His work in finance has taken him around the globe for some of the world’s biggest companies. Now, Carlos Aritzmendi is moving again, this time back to Europe, where he’ll be the managing director for BIC’s global business center in Bulgaria.
“I have always been open to new opportunities, and I’m a person who seeks to add value to the organizations where I am, and I’m always willing to live a new challenge,” Aritzmendi says.
His new role begins July 1, and he’s been spending the past few months giving his responsibilities as chief financial officer for BIC’s Latin American operations to others on his team. He joined the company in May 2020 and immediately began a transformation, which included financializing the implementation of a business planning process.
“My focus continues to be ensuring organizational continuity and keeping the business culture aligned with the commercial aspect of the company,” he says.
When Aritzmendi worked for Mattel, the global entertainment company that counts Barbie, Hot Wheels, American Girl and Thomas and Friends among its many brands, he led commercial strategy, trade marketing, field sales and the customer engagement departments for Latin America. That experience has helped him in his work at BIC, which makes everything from pens and pencils to lighters and razors.
“I came to BIC because of the company’s need to improve its financial structure, along with its culture and processes,” he says.
Since the beginning of 2022, Aritzmendi has been traveling between Bulgaria and Mexico to visit his wife and two young children. The thought of moving somewhere close to the ongoing Ukraine war with Russia took some time to get over, but Aritzmendi and his wife see the move as an opportunity to be out of their comfort zone and tackle a new adventure.
“There are many areas that’ll be challenging, but if we are successful, it’ll be a triple win: a win for the company, a win for my family and a win for me,” he says.
Since he accepted the position in Bulgaria, Aritzmendi has been implementing new processes and standards he says are urgently needed to serve the business’ operations in Europe. The main objective is to improve business efficiencies that will result in cost savings; through those efficiencies, the company is planning to fund the key pillars of growth in line with BIC’s strategy.
“I think I’m bringing leadership, partnership, financial expertise and business knowledge in order to improve European operations,” Aritzmendi says.
Transformation in LATAM
Aritzmendi joined BIC’s Latin American operation during the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic aiming to transform the finance team through practical and cultural improvements.
For instance, he took advantage of technology to connect with key stakeholders of the organization to get a feel for the culture and then execute a cultural transformation plan for the Latin American region.
“By having better planning and business management, it allows us to improve our working capital, exceed goals and maintain forecast accuracy,” he says. “As a result, profitability and our position in the market improve dramatically.”
Partially because of his efforts, the business achieved double-digit growth with a better position in the market, he says. And the company’s cash conversion cycle exceeded internal expectations.
“I focused on empowering the organization through processes to gain agility in the decision-making process and leadership in the market,” Aritzmendi says.
A global financial officer
Aritzmendi earned a degree in finance from Tecnológico de Monterrey and a master’s degree in business administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. He completed additional business studies at the University of California-Berkeley Haas School of Business and the Columbia University Business School.
He spent a year as a financial planning analyst for Pfizer before working two years as a financial planning coordinator for the Mexican supply chain for Danone. The international food company manufactures products including Dannon yogurt, Evian bottled water and Horizon Organic milk.
From there, Aritzmendi spent more than 16 years at Mattel. He worked in the financial planning department in Mexico for four years and then spent three years as a senior finance manager. He was based in Germany for two years as the finance director for Central and Northern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and then was the Latin American financial director for nearly six years.
He ended his tenure at Mattel as a commercial strategy director for Latin America before joining BIC as chief financial officer for Latin America in May 2020.
“I would describe myself as a finance and commercial person,” Aritzmendi says. “I see that continuing and hopefully leading to a role as a global CFO or general manager for an entire region.”
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St James's alarm over Windsor Life
WEALTH manager St James's Place Capital shocked the City today with a profits warning, revealing a raft of problems at privately-owned Life Assurance Holding Corporation, where it has a 23% stake.
The group's shares slumped by 22 1/2p to 96p as it warned that results for calendar 2002 would be 'materially below market expectations'.
LAHC, whose principal trading business is Windsor Life, has been hit by the slide in the value of its holding in Aberdeen Asset Management, the fund manager at the heart of the split capital investment trust scandal.
LAHC has also had to lift its provision for pensions mis-selling, and faces additional taxes on prior year profits, St James's admitted, saying it had only 'just received' the bad news about LAHC.
Chairman Sir Mark Weinberg said LAHC worked on a different cycle to St James's and the tax liabilities were complicated. 'Only in the last 24 hours have we been able to get reliable figures,' he said. The additional tax hit was partly due to new legislation that disallowed certain tax offsets, he added
St James's, controlled by the HBOS banking group, said its share of LAHC's losses would be £28m in 2002, propelling it into 'a small loss for the year on an Achieved Profits basis'. It has written down the value of the LAHC stake from £97m to £30m.
St James's, which specialises in looking after the financial affairs of the well-off, has been badly hit by the downturn in stock markets, reporting falls in new business in recent months. The shares have now slipped by three-quarters over the past two years.
Last month it reported a 22% decline in sales of unit trusts and other long-term savings products in 2002. It has already written down from £18m to zero its holding in Nascent, a Continental operation set up in partnership with Swiss Re.
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A campaign by a traditional Republican Party ally to denounce President Donald Trump’s trade policies reported Monday that more than $977 million in Iowa exports are threatened by his new tariffs and promised retaliations.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business group, argued the administration’s new tariffs, plus those threatened against the United States by its traditional trading partners, could boomerang and spark a global trade war. In its report, the Chamber argues retaliatory tariffs, most recently announced by Canada, Mexico and others, will make American-made goods more expensive, resulting in lost sales and jobs.
Trump has implemented billions of dollars in tariffs targeted at China, Canada, Mexico and the European Union.
Last week, Canada retaliated for the steel and aluminum tariffs, vowing to impose tariffs on $12.6 billion worth of American goods.
China is expected to impose a new 25-percent tax on soybeans starting at the end of this week.
Mexico is adding retaliatory tariffs to pork imports, according to a report by Reuters.
“Over the course of the week, we will see a lot of action on either the imposition of tariffs or the delay of that,” said Iowa State University agriculture economist Chad Hart. “We’ve already seen Canada move over the weekend and put in their tariffs. The EU could move later this week. And we could see moves by Mexico, by ourselves and by China. So you’re seeing a lot of trade barriers being erected this week and the damage being done will depend on the product.”
In Iowa, the Chamber report shows 456,300 jobs are supported by trade. The state will be the hardest hit by nearly $660 million in exports to Canada threatened by new tariffs, including herbicides, steel and aluminum.
More than $104 million worth of exports to China are threatened, including more than $30 million in soybeans.
And the report shows more than $125 million in pork exports to Mexico now are at risk.
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Hart said the country is keeping a close eye on Iowa, with its especially large agriculture economy. And so far, he said the state is seeing two impacts: a potential loss in value and an immediate loss of income.
“So an example is soybeans versus pork,” he said. “With soybeans, we’ve seen a loss in the potential value but haven’t seen damage to incomes yet because not a lot of soybeans are being sold this time of year. With pork, we see a drop in actual income because the sales period is throughout the entire year.”
While the Trump administration argues the tariffs are necessary to offset trade imbalances, several other groups have been fighting against the trade policies, fearing significant damage to the economy.
“Whether you’re on the strong side or the weak side of the trade war, it tends to hurt both sides due to a loss of jobs in certain sectors and a slowdown in the economy,” Hart said. “Iowa is probably bearing more of a burden from the trade dispute because ag has gotten wrapped into this so quickly.”
If the trade dispute continues into the fall, Hart predicts a decline in farm income and jobs, as well as a drop in processing jobs related to agriculture. He said bigger manufacturers, such as Deere & Co., will likely feel the impacts of a slower agriculture economy.
“When it comes to ag, Iowa produces a tremendous amount of surplus compared to what we use in the state,” Hart said. “We’re built for an exports market. When those exports are shrinking, that tends to mean our economy is shrinking.”
The Chamber, which says it represents the interests of 3 million companies, had praised Trump for slashing business taxes in December.
“The administration is threatening to undermine the economic progress it worked so hard to achieve,” Chamber President Tom Donohue said in a statement. “We should seek free and fair trade, but this is just not the way to do it.”
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Asked at a briefing about the Chamber’s report, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters: “The president is focused on helping protect American workers and American industries and create a fair playing field.”
Reuters contributed to this report.


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Analysts worldwide are currently reflecting on the most significant tech trends of 2021 as they try to determine what will carry on dominating the digital landscape next year. The rise of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has been impossible to ignore this year as the industry goes from strength to strength, boasting a multitude of benefits for collectors and artists alike. For starters, NFTs can be used to represent artwork, to establish ownership rights and authenticity in the digital space. This technology has empowered generative artists to build a new creative renaissance that appeals to modern collectors searching for alternative investments.
In mid-September, an Art Blocks NFT collection was sold for US$5.38 million. Big tech firms such as Adobe quickly attempted to hop on the trend by tackling the industry’s art theft problem with an NFT option in Photoshop called Content Credentials. They are also working to integrate their social platform, Behance, with blockchains including Polygon, Solana, Flow and Tezos to give creatives a platform to showcase their NFTs. But Silicon Valley is desperately playing catch up with Asia, which is thriving and leading the way in this space.
Understanding NFT art in Asia
Although big business is attempting to capitalize on the NFT zeitgeist, the beating heart of the industry is in Asia, where art is not just about the transaction. As a result, NFTs are already changing business models, especially across the creative industries where NFTs are not just a passing trend but a movement with enormous cultural, economic, and social importance.
Diving deeper, the emerging world of generative art requires a new mindset and a steep learning curve for newcomers. However, it’s not as complicated as you might think. In simple terms, collectors decide on a preferred collection and proceed to purchase digital art from up-and-coming artists in a mechanism known as “minting.” Then, through creative coding created by the artist, an algorithm serves to generate a unique artwork almost randomly. Finally, the NFT is sent to the collector’s blockchain network address.
Only a limited number of NFTs can be minted in the collection, which gives collectors only one shot to acquire the generative art they have their eyes on. Furthermore, the algorithm ensures that every single piece is unique to the collection. In some cases, Interactive elements are incorporated such that every time ownership of the NFT changes, the generative art will render differently — making it truly one of a kind.
Why is NFT generative art a hot commodity?
Remember when shelves in your home were full of your favorite DVDs, CDs and video games? For the most part, people are increasingly replacing physical media with digital items. Likewise, gamers are spending their cash buying digital clothing for their avatars. For example, Fortnite generated a phenomenal US2.4 billion in revenue for Epic Games in 2018, with much of the game’s revenue coming from the sale of character skins and emotes.
The lines between offline and online are beginning to disappear as digital spaces transcend the space-time of our physical world. Technology is augmenting human creativity rather than replacing it while also thrusting generative art into the spotlight as an exciting new artistic medium.
These are just a few examples of why the movement soared in popularity and challenged how we define value. Just like offline art, an NFT’s value is decided by a combination of aesthetics and verifiable scarcity. Collectors regularly compete for the ownership of a digital artwork edition, a 1/1 exclusive or a unique piece created in a generative art collection. Together NFT artists and collectors across Southeast Asia are leading a dramatic shift in the perception of value around intangible assets to build purely digital experiences.
Gaming, sports and art collectibles are connecting users with their idols while also encouraging the community to support unexposed creative talent. For artists, many are gravitating towards blockchain as royalties are written into the code, rewarding participation and passive income opportunities. In addition, the decentralized nature of blockchain shifts the power over to creators and collectors. NFT marketplaces provide them with full ownership of their content and complete control over licensing. Essentially, it completely removes the need for intermediaries.
For programmatic artists, the nature of their art can be self-generating, making it a new medium for experimental creativity. For example, Singapore-based Radarboy3000 established the Mad Hatters Club, most commonly known for its collection of 888 bunnies inspired by collectible designer art toys. The collection combines the mechanics and aesthetics of generative art. These bunnies move on their own, and by collecting two bunnies, the artwork will “breed” a baby bunny, visible on both NFTs.
How NFTS are reshaping creative culture in Asia
Despite all the benefits this movement brings to artists and collectors alike, many critics believe algorithms and NFTs produce bad art and cheap culture. The reality is that Asian artists are inspiring global audiences by using the decentralized platform to expand the true expression of their creativity. For example, Munira Hamzah, also known as Moon or Mumu the Stan, is a rising NFT artist in Malaysia who sold her first NFT to Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda. In her words, NFTs have expanded her horizons on art and have changed her perceptions on what’s possible within the medium. By leveraging the NFT art community, Moon reclaimed her power and has been given a voice as a creator to express her views on sustainability and mental wellness.
Throughout our lives, we find beauty in moments of randomness and serendipity. Throughout Asia, NFTs unlock new ways to express creativity, reshape culture and explore what happens when online and offline worlds collide.
For Asian artists, the digital realm helps them increase their audience reach, build more diverse communities, and develop their profiles. It’s also creating new opportunities to showcase Asia’s innovation and its tech-forward-friendly culture to the world. Through Crypto Art Week Asia, for instance, held in July this year, Radarboy3000 brought together leading artists from across the region to showcase the region’s booming creative force.
The future of art NFTs
In artistic terms, art NFTs are still in their infancy. But the thriving artist community in Asia where creatives are experimenting with new digital formats such as programmable art is already beginning to impact the larger world of blockchain. For example, Singapore-based student Eve Lee is inspiring audiences with the launch of her KryptoTrees collection, which consists of 10,000 NFTs with a key objective to plant 100,000 trees. For Eve, NFTs are a tool of empowerment that enable her to showcase her art, design, and creativity while also making a difference to our planet.
The increased adoption and minting of NFTs is proving to be a big hit, with collectors snapping them up in seconds. Ethereum is the most popular blockchain for NFTs, but is heavily criticized for the vast amounts of electricity it uses. Minting NFTs on cleaner blockchains will also make a tremendous impact on climate initiatives.
Behind the hype, technology works best when it brings people together. The NFT movement is still in its infancy, but many artists believe it’s here to stay, and that can only be a great thing.


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National / International News
During a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Obama said that a country is more successful when "all voices are being heard."
The world’s largest manufacturer of generic drugs, Teva, has bagged some big game.
Monday morning, the company announced that it has agreed to buy Allergan’s generic business for a little more than $40 billion.
If approved, the deal places Teva amongst the largest drug companies on the planet.
With just one purchase, the company could bring in new revenue, fend off competition from China and India, and gain even more pull in this $70 billion a year business, says Elizabeth Krutoholow, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst.
“It’s just a matter of being able to throw around your power in pricing," she says. "So you are trying to get your drugs into the pharmacy. If you have more things in your bag that you can play around with, you certainly have greater leverage there.”
Whether this deal would ratchet up prices depends on how many drugs in Teva’s bag are in direct competition with the one’s in Allegran’s bag, says Yale economist Fiona Scott Morton.
“We really care about the overlaps of these firms. If there is a lot, then there is potential for higher prices when they merge. So ... the regulator needs to go out and look at where these guys overlap,” she says.
While there are a lot of tie ups in healthcare these days, Morton says generics are a different game.
Unlike health insurance, for example, it’s easier to get into generics, making it more likely the small guys will be able to grow and keep competition more robust.
More on news that Fiat Chrysler will offer to buyback hundreds of thousands of Ram Pickup trucks. Plus, what to expect to from the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee briefing on Wednesday. And thousands of workers in lawsuits in several states allege Chipotle’s “moral high-ground” doesn’t extend to its cooks, cashiers and managers. The cases against Chipotle are part of a national trend of workers turning to federal courts to recoup wages.
Americans views of the Cuba embargo have reversed in the last 20 years. But Republicans are standing firmly against President Obama's policy change to open up relations with the island nation.
Brown, who grew up in the shadow of fame and dysfunction, had spent six months at a hospital after being found unresponsive in a bathtub at her home.


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Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) is pleased to announce that its majority owned subsidiary, MoneyTrac Technology, Inc. (“MTRAC”, the “Company”), has finalized a majority ownership acquisition of PotSaver, a Southern California based, revenue producing, community periodical providing listings on discounted cannabis-related products for local dispensaries and shops.
The majority ownership acquisition will provide MTRAC with an immediate revenue stream from existing subscription-based earnings for Potsaver. Additionally, PotSaver currently generates revenue through an agreement with Greenrush. Greenrush’s technology is the largest on-demand delivery platform in the cannabis industry, connecting patients with local dispensaries across California, Nevada and Colorado.
“The majority ownership acquisition of PotSaver marks a significant milestone for MoneyTrac Technology,” said MTRAC COO, Vanessa Luna. “Not only does it provide our company with an immediate source of revenue, but it provides us with a unique opportunity to take a proven revenue-generating business model and expand it through the infusion of the many different tools and resources we have available through our networking, software and business development capabilities. Mr. Adler and his team have worked tirelessly to create and manage the respected brand PotSaver, which has been well established throughout the San Diego market and is transitioning to mass distribution throughout Southern California. We are truly excited to be given an opportunity to help further develop the brand into one of the most recognized within the cannabis industry,” Ms. Luna remarked further.
“In having had the opportunity to work in close collaboration with Ms. Luna and the MoneyTrac team in recent months, I have seen firsthand the experience, drive, and strong business sense they possess,” said PotSaver Founder, Aaron Adler. “The many different avenues that this acquisition creates for the PotSaver brand to take full advantage of the opportunities that continue to materialize throughout our rapidly growing industry, is second-to-none. I have every bit of confidence in Ms. Luna and her team’s abilities to now become an even bigger resource for PotSaver’s growth and expansion, and ultimately see it reach its fullest potential,” Mr. Adler commented further.
Mr. Adler, who brings with him several years of publication experience, including vital experience and resources within the cannabis industry, will assume the role of Director of Sales and Marketing for MTRAC. In this role, and with the backing and critical support provided to him by the MTRAC team, he will be dedicated to increasing PotSaver’s subscription base which will include an expansion into territories beyond the Southern California region where it has currently established a strong market presence.
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Friday 18 May is Silver Surfers’ Day. Over-50s are being invited to get to grips with technology and surf the internet with free training at their local libraries and other venues throughout Northern Ireland.
Organised by Business in the Community in partnership with the Department of Finance and Personnel and Libraries NI, business volunteers will be on hand to help and provide invaluable advice to those wishing to get to grips with technology and surf the internet with free training. This event is a really effective way of engaging and encouraging those who may feel less comfortable using the internet. Simply contact your local library and book your place today!
Hundreds of business volunteers will be available to deliver fun taster sessions on the internet, e-mail, online banking, shopping and much, much more. The event, now in its eighth year, is supported by the Department of Finance and Personnel.
Hilary Hanberry, Business in the Community explains: “There’s still time to book a place, but I’d urge anyone interested to get in contact with their library right away to avoid disappointment. It’s a lot of fun, learning with others in a friendly, informative atmosphere.”
Sammy Wilson said: “I would encourage everyone over 50 to book their place and come along and join in the fun on Friday 18 May. “My department has been running this event for seven years now, helping Silver Surfers to set up an e-mail account, send e-mails, bank online, access government services through the nidirect website, shop and much, much more. We want to get as many people as possible online and this event is a really effective way of engaging and encouraging those who may feel less comfortable using the internet.
Silver Surfers’ Day is part of our ‘Go ON NI’ campaign which focuses on encouraging as many people as possible to go online, addressing any barriers, promoting the benefits of accessing the Internet, and seeing the convenience of online public services.”
Irene Knox, Chief Executive, Libraries NI, adds: “For many years, libraries have been involved in Silver Surfers’ Day and this year, Libraries NI is delighted that a record number of 58 libraries across Northern Ireland will be taking part by hosting free IT sessions. Silver Surfers’ Day aims to take the fear of computers away from older people and with free internet and computer use for all library members, local libraries are keen to invite you to use their facilities for free, not only on Silver Surfers’ Day but at any time of the year .”
To book a Silver Surfers’ session contact your local library:


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OUT TO LUNCH finds Baton Rouge Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel combining her hard news journalist skills and food background: conducting business over lunch. Baton Rouge has long had a storied history of politics being conducted over meals, now the Capital Region has an equivalent culinary home for business: Mansur’s. Each week Stephanie holds court over lunch at Mansur’s and invites members of the Baton Rouge business community to join her. You can also hear the show on WRKF 89.3FM.
In 2018, the U.S. wedding industry was worth an estaimted $75 Billion. The average wedding set the happy couple, or their parents, back by a whopping $44,000. That's nearly double the average cost of a just a year or two earlier.
But, for every action there's an opposite and equal reaction. Today, brides are balking at spending big money on weddings. And savvy entrepreneurs are finding ways to make the special day a little less special, financially.
Lauren Bercier is co-founder and CEO of Something Borrowed Blooms, a startup company that offers rent-and return flowers for weddings. The company uses high-quality silk flowers and then does the arrangements themselves, being mindful of the latest trends and fashions in floral arrangements. Lauren founded the company in 2015 with her cousin, Laken, based on her experiences as a bride, and after a couple of years of slow growth, company revenues shot up 400 percent in 2018. Their 2019 target was 12 weddings a month. They are currently doing 400.
Felix Sherman, Jr. is co-owner of one of Baton Rouge’s most beloved bakeries, Ambrosia. The bakery is particulalry well known for its beautiful wedding cakes (and a bunch of other sinfully delicious confections). Ambrosia was founded in 1991 by Felix’s parents, Felix and Cheryl Sherman. Besides being Baton Rouge famous, Ambrosia has received nationwide recognition, being named one of the Top 50 Wedding Cake bakeries in America.


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Infiniti has the honour to stage the opening event of the 2014 Dubai Motor Festival when it presents the Infiniti F1 Showrun at 4:30pm on 19... ...http://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/witness-infiniti-f1-showrun-2014-dubai-motor-festival-next-week/
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International Paper (NYSE:IP) Intraday Stock Chart Today : Tuesday 4 November 2014 MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Nov. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --... ...http://in.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=64277110
• H.E. Laila Suhail: Our strategy focused on giving the private sector a bigger role in forming the second edition of Dubai Motor Festival •... ...http://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/dubai-announces-calender-events-november/
Investing in a car for the business...


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The novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow in severity, with most parts of the world seeing no signs of easing or control of viral spread in the near future. The pandemic has plunged the world economy into a state of higher negative risk, as it enters a recession this year. Governments and central banks worldwide have issued stimulus packages - in the forms of monetary and fiscal measures - to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic via massive amount of funds. Generally, fiscal measures accentuate reduction of household and business debt burdens as well as ensuring that households and businesses continues to generate income. On the other hand, monetary measures place emphasis on enhancing liquidity, including the launch of soft loan schemes and relief of debt burdens.
The figures taken from stimulus packages as reported by the authorities are simply the amount which the authorities have specified as being in force; although some measures have yet to be implemented or are otherwise, lacking in immediate cash injection. In addition, the actual amount of funds spent may be less than the amount specified, which is partly just loan guarantees that may not be entirely tapped into. Meanwhile, monetary measures tend to involve a considerably high amount since the massive size of the financial asset base in the economic system makes it impossible to interpret the results of such stimulus packages by figures alone. Moreover, the stimulus packages may not always reflect their true effectiveness.
Based on the present situation of the COVID-19 pandemic which appears unlikely to be brought under full control any time soon, the world economy is exposed to higher negative risk with a tendency to contract more sharply this year, even though many countries have announced stimulus measures amounting to more than 10 percent of GDP. The actual effectiveness of such measures remains to be determined, and should the situation fail to improve, the authorities are expected to be prepared to issue further measures as deemed necessary in the future.
In summary, the execution of such measures to ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that requires tremendous amount of money may, in the end, prove futile in rescuing the economies of many countries from recession, but they are at least expected to lessen the shrinkage of those economies compared to scenarios where no such measures are taken. More importantly, other measures that are being enforced during the present state of emergency have been taken to ensure that the economic mechanisms will continue to function normally.


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Yes, she will don the exquisite attire of Bawree, the leading fashion unit in an event to be held today.
Shristy will be seen in a very Indian attire, a grand lancha which will be of a mix of peach and pink. The best part of her ramp walk will be that she will be the showstopper at the event.
An excited Srishty told us, “Yes, it is a very nice feeling to be the showstopper at a fashion event, and that too when I have never ever walked the ramp till now. I have a mixed feeling right now, excited as this will be a big opportunity for me to exhibit the exquisite designs of Bawree; at the same time I am nervous and hope everything falls in place.”
Srishty has done a good body of work in television that includes shows like Yeh Ishq Haaye, Chhoti Bahu 2, Shobha Somnath Ki, Punar Vivah – Ek Nayi Umeed in addition to the ongoing Saraswatichandra.
We wish Srishty all the luck for her stint at the ramp!


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BJ's Wholesale Club joins EPA's Food Recovery Challenge
BJ's Wholesale Club is the first wholesale club and the most recent participant in EPA's Food Recovery Challenge, a national initiative aimed at encouraging businesses and institutions to prevent food waste .
Thu Aug 14, 2014
Chain Store Age
BJ's Wholesale Club partners with 215 schools for 19th year
BJ's Wholesale Club announced partnerships with 215 schools through the organization's Adopt-A-School program.
Mon Aug 11, 2014
Benderson wants to add more retail to Cooper Creek Boulevard
Benderson Development has filed an application with Manatee County government to add 6,660 square feet of retail space with 1,766 square feet of patio to the existing shopping center off of Cooper Creek Boulevard and Tourist Center Drive.
Mon Aug 04, 2014
Employee theft totaling $15,000 alleged at St. Marya s store
A Lexington Park man was released Wednesday on personal recognizance after his arrest on charging papers alleging he stole more than $15,000 in cash, gift cards and merchandise while working at the BJ's Wholesale Club store in California.
Sun Aug 03, 2014
The Verona-Cedar Grove Times
Riverdale: Police Blotter, Aug. 3, 2014
A 21-year-old Wayne man was accused of stealing while an employee at BJ's Wholesale Club, and this complaint brought Detective Sgt.
Fri Aug 01, 2014
Traffic congestion to persist for months as Route 611 bridge project continues
The state Route 611 bridge enhancement project will have traffic tied up for at least another three to four months.
Tue Jul 29, 2014
Daytona Beach News-Journal Online
Under new ownership Developers sell complex as 12-year project nears...
PORT ORANGE With the build-out of Altamira Village shopping center finally nearing completion after more than a decade, its developers have decided to sell the open-air retail complex.
Police: Body Found In Wooded Area Behind Delaware Store
Delaware State Police are investigating the death of a person whose a body was found in a wooded area behind a store Tuesday afternoon.
Chain Store Age
Alliance Data to provide branded credit cards for BJ's
Westborough, Mass. BJ's Wholesale Club has signed a new long-term agreement for Alliance Data Systems Corp. to provide co-brand credit card services.
3 Stocks to Profit From the Warehouse Retail Industry
As per a First Research report, the $390 billion warehouse club industry in the U.s. has developed an incredible 137% from 2001-2011, as contrasted with an insignificant 47% for all general merchandise stores.
Sentinel & Enterprise
Pair accused in credit-card theft
A man and a woman are accused of stealing credit cards and checks in November and used them at a number of locations to buy cigarettes and other items, according to court documents.
Thu Jul 24, 2014
Dallas Morning News
What not to buy at warehouse clubs
Shopping at warehouse clubs, such as Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club, is a great way to save money.
Financial News & Daily Record
BJ's Wholesale Club property along Philips Highway sold for $18.3M
A New York investor paid $18.3 million this week for the BJ's Wholesale Club property on Philips Highway in South Jacksonville.


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Sofia-Based Nestle Factory Launches New Production Line
A new production line for Kit Kat bars as opened Thursday at the Nestle factory in Sofia.
The investment amounts to BGN 12.8 M.
The Kit Kat bars manufactured there are to be exported from Bulgaria across the world, according to reports of dnevnik.bg.
Nestle's factory for chocolate confectionery and biscuits n Sofia has a staff of over 730 people and the new production line is to create over 100 jobs.
The new facility was officially inaugurated by Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Daniela Bobeva and Agriculture Minister Dimitar Grekov.
Grekov pointed out that the investments in the processing industry were very beneficial for Bulgarian agriculture because they increased demand for agricultural raw materials and locally manufactured products.
He also emphasized that the new production line would use Bulgarian flour and milk will be and would create jobs.
- » US Energy Envoy: New Gas Projects ‘Are Little More Than Distractions’
- » China to Invest EUR 20 M in Bulgaria’s Burgas Port to Facilitate Trade with Europe
- » IMF Projects 2.3% GDP Growth for Bulgaria in 2016
- » Bulgarian Tourists Stuck on Santorini by General Strike in Greece
- » Building Permits Issued in Bulgaria Rise 3.4% Y/Y in Q1
- » Panama Papers: First 'Politically Exposed' Bulgarian Name Emerges


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The Chinese bottled water and soft drinks brand Nongfu Spring has been accused of “flattery toward Japan” by two 7-Eleven branches in Jiangsu province, adding to an ongoing debate in the country about the perils of overdoing patriotism. Nongfu Spring’s founder Zhong Shanshan is currently China’s richest person with an estimated net worth of 63 billion USD.
On March 8, two 7-Eleven branches in Changzhou, a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu, announced they would stop selling Nongfu Spring products via a shopfront notice. According to images widely shared on social media, the notice read: “We will cease the sale of related products from Nongfu Spring. Products from all countries are available for purchase, but items endorsing Chinese companies’ flattery towards Japan will not be sold.”
The furore stemmed from the packaging of the brand’s green tea drink, which features a building the 7-Eleven employees believed to be a Japanese wooden pagoda. In fact, pagodas are a result of transnational cultural exchange. Japan’s pagoda designs are derived from Chinese pagodas, which are in turn thought to be inspired by Indian stupa.
Nongfu Spring’s regional headquarters in Jiangsu have since clarified via WeChat that the boycott was the personal choice of employees at the two branches in Changzhou and did not reflect an official stance of the company.
The actions of the 7-Eleven employees have been widely panned by official news sources in China. The local government in Zhejiang province publicly described it as a “desecration” and “exploitation” of patriotism, done to gain views online. Some netizens pointed out the irony in refusing to sell supposedly Japanese-influenced goods, given that 7-Eleven itself has been Japanese-owned since 1999.
A similar incident occurred in January when a Nanjing-based vlogger took to social media to harangue a local mall because the red circles on one of its shopfronts resembled Japan’s national flag. State media vehemently criticised the move and the man’s WeChat account was terminated. Following the incident, many articles have appeared online warning against the dangers of extreme patriotism.


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RECOGNITION FOR LEXIS HOTEL GROUP
Kuala Lumpur, 1 March 2017 – Lexis Hotels and Resorts (Lexis Hotel Group) is proud to announce it has won the coveted BrandLaureate SMEs, Best Brands Awards 2016-2017 – Best Brand in Hospitality (Hotels and Resorts). Held at the Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, the glittering event, organized by the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation (APBF), saw over 60 companies and individuals comprising corporate leaders, brand owners and leading personalities obtaining the BrandLaureate Awards in their respective fields.
TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR BRAND FOR YOUR BRAND SUSTAINABILITY AND CONTINUITY is the theme of this year's Awards. “In today's competitive business landscape, it is of paramount importance that brands take ownership and have a firm grip on it too. Only brand owners can determine their success and prevent it from falling down the abyss”, said Dr KK Johan in his welcome speech.
The award, a 24k gold plated trophy and a glass-framed certificate, was presented to President of Lexis Hotel Group Mandy Chew Siok Cheng by Chairman of The BrandLaureate, YBhg Tan Sri Rainer Althoff and President Dr KK Johan. “We are extremely proud to share the success and prestige this award brings to all associates. With the recognition, the Management aims to propel the Lexis brand name towards greater heights”, said Mandy Chew.
Lexis Hotel Group provides discerning leisure and business guests with practical and luxurious accommodations across various properties in Malaysia. It is steadfast in offering professional management services for hotels and resorts, and has successfully built a strong, profitable and visible premier niche brand in the hospitality industry especially in managing award-winning unique water chalets as well as pool villas. The brand currently manages three properties, namely Lexis, Grand Lexis and Lexis Hibiscus, all located in Port Dickson. Another upscale property, Lexis Suites Penang, opened for business in 1
For Media enquiries, please contact:
LEE MENG HONG
Director of Communications
H/P: 016 271 6395
Tel: 03 2082 0333 ext. 255
Fax: 03 2082 0222
Asst Director of Communications
H/P: 012 351 1988
Tel: 06 660 2626
Fax : 06 660 2527


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Volvo to Test Self-Driving Cars on Public Roads in 2017
December 3, 2013 8:17 PM
comment(s) - last by
The testing will take place in Sweden
Volvo Car Group
announced that it will test 100 self-driving vehicles on public roads in Sweden.
The automaker said that it wants to launch a pilot for
called the "Drive Me" project. The idea behind the project is to achieve zero fatalities involving Volvo vehicles by 2020.
The Drive Me project will consist of 100 self-driving cars and 100 customers selected to run the vehicles during testing. The cars will be placed on certain roads that span about 50 kilometres in Gothenburg, Sweden.
But don't expect to see these cars on the roads anytime soon. Research and development starts in 2014, but actual testing won't begin until 2017.
It's not clear which vehicles will be
used for the testing
yet, but they will be based on Volvo's upcoming Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platforms.
The technology is expected to assume all normal driving functions, such as adaptive cruise control (for following the flow of traffic) and road edge detection with steer assist (for steering the car away from road edges). However, a driver does have to be present in the vehicle to take over in case of an emergency.
On top of that, the technology will offer fully automated parking that doesn't require a driver to be in the car.
“Autonomous vehicles are an integrated part of Volvo Cars’ as well as the Swedish government’s vision of zero traffic fatalities. This public pilot represents an important step towards this goal,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo Car Group. “It will give us an insight into the technological challenges at the same time as we get valuable feedback from real customers driving on public roads.”
Volvo isn't the only automaker with self-driving vehicle goals for the year 2020. Nissan announced that it will
offer autonomous vehicles
that are broadly available and have affordable prices by the end of the decade.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: Hurry up already...
The Von Matrices
The Von Matrices
12/4/2013 4:39:50 PM
You apparently don't see the difference between the arguments.
1prophet doesn't want automated cars on the road until legislation dictates who is responsible if the automated system crashes the car. I argue that even in the worst case scenario - if a manufacturing defect causes a crash but the law places the blame on the "driver" - the "driver" would still be involved in fewer crashes than if he manually controlled the car.
"It's okay. The scenarios aren't that clear. But it's good looking. [Steve Jobs] does good design, and [the iPad] is absolutely a good example of that." -- Bill Gates on the Apple iPad
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Google is setting the stage for a significant expansion in the mobile gaming arena. The tech giant is gearing up to welcome a broader spectrum of real-money games (RMG) to the Play Store, marking a strategic shift in their app policy. This move aligns with the company’s objective to harness the burgeoning potential of the RMG sector while adhering to local legal frameworks.
Starting this year, Google’s Play Store will see an influx of diverse RMG categories, initially rolling out in India, Brazil, and Mexico, with plans to extend into other regions in the future. This decision represents a pivotal moment for the RMG industry, opening doors for a variety of gaming experiences that go beyond the traditional scope.
In tandem with this policy revamp, Google is contemplating a fresh approach to its service fee model, particularly for subscriptions and in-app purchases within these games. This change, while details remain under wraps, is anticipated to redefine the economics of the RMG sector and the role of the Android and Play ecosystems in it. Karan Gambhir, Director of Global Trust & Safety Partnerships at Google, emphasizes the company’s commitment to evolving its fee model to reflect the value Google Play offers, ensuring it aligns with the unique economic dynamics of the RMG industry.
Historically, Google’s stance on RMG apps has been to allow those that fit within specific local regulatory frameworks. The latest policy shift, however, opens the floodgates for legal, yet previously unregulated, types of RMG apps. This move is a continuation of Google’s efforts that began in 2021 to integrate RMG apps into the Play Store. A notable example is the 2022 pilot in India, which introduced fantasy sports and Rummy apps to local users. With the current update, these pilot apps, alongside others, are granted a grace period until June 30, post which a broader range of RMG apps will be permissible on the platform.
The journey hasn’t been without its hiccups, as illustrated in 2020 when Google removed Paytm’s app from the Play Store due to its integration of fantasy sports features. Such instances highlight the delicate balance Google must maintain between embracing innovation and adhering to regulatory guidelines.
The pilot also underscored the importance of responsible gaming, incorporating strict age and ID verification measures. This focus on safeguarding user experience is expected to continue, with Google planning to introduce comprehensive policies in the coming months that will include age limits and geographical restrictions for these games.
A key aspect of this expansion is the new service fee on RMG apps, which is set to play a vital role in Google Play Store’s revenue strategy. This comes at a time when the tech giant is under global scrutiny regarding allowing developers to opt for alternative payment methods. Google’s user-choice billing program, launched in 2022, offering a 4% discount on service fees, might see an evolution in the context of RMG apps.
In conclusion, Google’s foray into the RMG sector is not just a game-changer for the Play Store but also for the RMG industry at large. It promises to unlock new opportunities, foster innovation, and bring a diverse range of gaming experiences to users worldwide, all while navigating the complex web of international gaming laws and regulatory requirements. As the tech giant gears up for this bold move, the industry eagerly anticipates the ripple effects it will have on the digital gaming marketplace.


text:
The Apple Watch rollout hasn't been the smoothest experience, with buyers facing long shipping delays and confusion about how to actually buy the device, which was released Friday.
The search giant unveils a new service that switches between cellular and Wi-Fi signals and lets customers pay for only what data they use.
Technically Incorrect: Some mysterious wag has decided to implant a rude image on Google Maps in Pakistan. A twisted celebration of the Apple Watch launch, perhaps?
Perfect for toting your laptop and other mobile gear, this stylish canvas bag normally sells for nearly twice the price. Cheapskate exclusive!
Given its relatively low price, the Seagate Business Storage 4-Bay NAS is worth the investment.
The more powerful and successful a woman becomes, the less she's liked, says the "Lean In" author.
The search giant's network would reportedly let customers pay only for the data they use and not a bulk rate.
For the first time, the e-commerce giant reports sales results for Amazon Web Services -- and they're whopping.
The chipmaker reports first-quarter revenue is mostly flat, though it does see a slight rise in income.
Activist investor Jana Partners has asked the chipmaker to divide its chip and patent licensing businesses in hopes of boosting Qualcomm's sagging share prices.


text:
During the last couple of years, YouTube TV has added more and more channels, which has created more value for the live TV streaming service. However, with the recent announcement of the streaming service getting Viacom channels, it may mean that customers may see a price increase soon.
For those who do not know, Viacom channels are channels such as Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, CMT, TV Land, BET and Paramount Network, just to name a few.
The reason there could be a price increase on YouTube TV is that we saw something similar happen last year where right after fuboTV announced it was getting Viacom channels, about a month later, it was announced the service would see a significant increase in price.
In fact, fuboTV even made a statement that mentioned that because of the recent channel additions, including the Viacom channels, the price of its service would go up.
“With the addition of popular channels over the past year, including AMC, Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TNT and, soon to come, BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Paramount Network, TV Land, VH1 and more, plus dozens of other national and regional channels, fuboTV is re-pricing its base subscription package, fubo, to $54.99. Starting March 28, new customers who sign-up for fubo at this price will receive a $10 discount on the first month. We are committed to continuing to deliver the best of live TV to our customers, as well as an exceptional user experience with 4K streams and premium features.”
YouTube TV currently costs $49.99 a month and it is a price that I could see go up just within the next couple of months. I predict that the service will see an increase of an additional $5-10 a month, making the final price between $55-$60 a month.
The only live TV streaming service that has Viacom channels and is relatively cheap is Philo, which costs $20 a month. It is that price because the service does not have sports channels like ESPN, FS1 or NFL Network.
Once the Viacom channels launch, be on the lookout for a price increase for the streaming service shortly thereafter. It’s going to be inevitable at this point.
Would you stay a YouTube TV subscriber with the price increase? Are you going to subscribe when it gets the Viacom channels? Let us know on our Twitter at @appleosophy.


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2019 Best Android Phone
Compare the best cheap Samsung Galaxy mobile phone contract deals in 2019. Find the best deals on the last Galaxy handsets include the Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy A80, Galaxy S9, and more. These are the Master Lu, a benchmarking platform for smartphones from China has released its list of top 10 best performing smartphones for July 2019. The list includes some smartphones that are powered by new Which is the best gaming phone you can buy right now? Mobile gaming has become a force to be reckoned with, and while many purists might dump on mobile games and gaming as poor substitutes for true
is set to mark the 73rd Independence day with its annual Freedom Sale 2019 beginning from August 8 to August 11. There will be up to 40 per cent discount on mobile phones and accessories. Some Huawei has launched its new Y9 Prime 2019 mid-range smartphone in South Africa, which the company said will compete with Samsung’s recently-launched Galaxy A Series devices. Upon launching its NEW YORK, July 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Samsara Luggage is station that allows travelers to re-charge laptops and smart phones. The removable battery complies with TSA regulations allowing
2019 Best Android Phone – Compare UK mobile phones deals from the likes of O2 you should definitely consider the best SIM-only deals in 2019. If you like having all your photos, music, downloads, and videos to hand Mobile games have never been more alive or better than right now with quirky experiences like Donut County, narratives like Florence, and Fortnite being more popular than ever. At the same time, Pop up camera phones and slider phones are awesome for a number of reasons. They allow for higher screen-to-body ratios, as there’s no need for a notch or a thick bezel to house the selfie camera.